Federal government establishes area development se...

Summary

•   ISLAMABAD:  The federal government has ordered the establishment of an Area Development Secretariat (ADS) for 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, introducing a special administrative structure with extensive responsibilities for governance, security and development in the designated areas.
• New administrative structure Under the reported order, the ADS will be headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of KP for the designated districts, who will also serve as administrator.
• Legal and constitutional questions One of the most significant aspects of the reported order concerns its provisions on the application of constitutional rules and provincial government procedures in the designated districts.

AI Generated Summary

ISLAMABAD:  The federal government has ordered the establishment of an Area Development Secretariat (ADS) for 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, introducing a special administrative structure with extensive responsibilities for governance, security and development in the designated areas.

According to reports citing a federal order published in the Extraordinary Gazette of Pakistan on October 11, 2026, the new arrangement will operate under an Area Representative and Development Council (ARDC), with the stated objective of improving coordination, maintaining law and order and accelerating development.

The designated districts include Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, North Waziristan, Upper South Waziristan and Lower South Waziristan.

New administrative structure

Under the reported order, the ADS will be headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of KP for the designated districts, who will also serve as administrator. The ARDC will comprise representatives and prominent figures from the respective districts and will be led by a chairman, with other office-bearers appointed under the prescribed procedure.